A magical twist on CLUE

The classic whodunit game has been updated with a splash of magic. With the final film now out in theaters, it is the perfect timing for “CLUE: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Edition.”

The new edition from Hasbro features the famous trio Harry, Ron and Hermione, along with recognized locations from the wizarding world, such as Hogwarts Castle, The Hog’s Head and the Ministry of Magic.

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This adaptation is a little more innocuous than it original version. No one is killed. “A fellow student has mysteriously vanished,” the directions describe. Suspects include Lucius and Draco Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback and Belatrix Lestrange. Possible spells or items used are Incendio, Stupefy, a jinxed broomstick and poisoned mead.

After spending a slightly daunting half-hour learning the meticulously-crafted rules and punching out cardboard tokens and setting up the board, the attention of the younger players may be gone. (The recommended age is 9 and up.) But the payoff is in the new twist. With each turn, danger lurks, doors close and fireplaces (a take on the old secret passages) extinguish or light up. The danger here is taking away Floo Powder tokens, which gives a player the means to travel between lit fireplaces. While the new additions seem overwhelming at first, those who know and love the classic game and everything “Harry Potter” will quickly adapt.

Figuring out who did it, how and where still takes takes careful examination and that’s what CLUE has always been about. At its core, this adaptation is the same. Just with a little magical Floo Powder.